


Stay

by enchantedlokii



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bisexual Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, F/M, Gay Bucky Barnes, M/M, Natasha Romanov Lives, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Serum Steve Rogers, White Wolf Bucky Barnes, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:09:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27810547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enchantedlokii/pseuds/enchantedlokii
Summary: Steve has told Bucky that he considers returning to Peggy in the late 1940s, but it is unclear what decision he will make.
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Sam Wilson, Bruce Banner & Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes & Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson
Comments: 5
Kudos: 33
Collections: Stucky





	Stay

Bucky lowered his head as Sam started shouting at Bruce to bring Steve back. He had hoped his friend had changed his mind; that he decided to not go back to Peggy, but it seemed that he hadn’t. He raised his head and glanced towards the bench where Steve had promised to meet him, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach when he didn’t immediately spot his friend.

”Come on, Steve,” he muttered, closing his eyes. If Steve wasn’t there, that meant that he either ran into trouble or that he had already died in this timeline. He didn’t want either to be true.

A flash of light came from the Quantum Portal and the three looked up, breathing a collective sigh of relief. Because as it disappeared, there was Steve. All that was with him was his shield. Well, a different shield that looked the same. One that he must have picked up in an old timeline. “Sorry I’m a bit late,” he chuckled nervously. “Stopped and talked to some old friends.”

He was quiet for a moment, stepping down from the portal. “Oh, and I had to get something.” There was another flash and Bucky’s eyes widened as he spotted a smaller figure; Natasha Romanoff. He had been told that she died collecting a Stone, but there she was. She looked weak and tired, but she was alive.

“Nat!” Bruce rushed forward to help her down, Sam rushing to her opposite side to help. “How-how?”

”A soul for a soul doesn’t just work one way,” Steve said with a small smile. “When I returned the Soul Stone, I spoke to Sch— Red Skull and he allowed me to speak with her. We realized she still had the suit and some Pym Particles so we gave it a try.”

”I need to sit down,” Natasha said quietly. Bucky noticed that she was leaning heavily on Bruce as she walked. She glanced up and spotted the porch. “There?”

”Yeah, we’ll get you there,” Sam told her.

As the three walked away, Bucky turned to Steve. “So,” he started. “You came back.”

Steve nodded slowly, looking at the ground before meeting Bucky’s eyes. “I. . . I spoke with Peggy and Howard for a bit,” he told him. “Peggy. . . She’s happy with the life she ended up with. She has a husband and kids. I couldn’t take that away from her. Howard said she moved on pretty quickly, actually.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. He knew that wasn’t the whole truth. He could tell from the look in his eyes that there was something else. More to the story. He was curious, but he didn’t push. “Let’s go check on Romanoff,” he insisted.

Bucky looked up as the door opened. A couple of weeks had passed since Steve returned the Stones, and Bucky had been staying in Steve’s Brooklyn apartment. He had insisted he would be fine on his own; he would go back to Wakanda and stay, but Steve wouldn’t have it. He reminded Bucky that he hadn’t seen him in five years and wasn’t sure that he would ever see him again. He had a good reason to want his friend there instead of on another continent.

”How’d it go?” he asked as Steve came and walked over to him, sitting beside him on the couch. Steve hadn’t told him many details about why he had left. He just said that he had to talk to Nick Fury and Maria Hill.

”It went great, actually,” Steve admitted. He could hear the truth in his voice, but he noticed that his friend seemed nervous. “I need to talk to you, Buck.”

”What did you do this time?” Bucky sighed. He was half-joking, but he was a bit worried that his friend had actually gotten into trouble. There was always a possibility. 

”Nothing!” Steve said, nudging Bucky a bit. “I just. . . I think that I’m going to retire. Hand the shield and mantle down. I just. . . I felt like I should talk to you about it first.”

Bucky was silent at first, thinking. “That’s your decision, Steve,” he said finally. “You were planning on giving the shield to Sam before. You know, when you were going to leave. I don’t see why now would be any different. You don’t need my permission, anyway.”

Steve sighed and rubbed his face with the palms of his hands. “About. . . About that,” he started after a moment. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I was going to leave. I’ve been thinking about it more. About how _stupid_ I was to think that was a good idea. I. . . God, Buck, I really am an idiot.”

”Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Bucky said softly, putting a hand on Steve’s back. “I mean, yeah, you are an idiot. And I _was_ upset that you were going to leave. I mean. . . Honestly, Steve, I don’t know how long I would make it here without you. But what matters is you did stay.”

”I shouldn’t have even thought about leaving you,” Steve sighed. “Look, I. . . If you want to leave after I tell you this, I’ll understand. I know how we grew up. I know that we were both taught that this is wrong, but I can’t help it. I. . . I think that there’s a part of me that loves you. Not. . . Not just like friends or brothers or whatever.”

Bucky froze at those words. He had hoped all his life that Steve would say that some day. He hoped that Steve felt the same way he did. The way he always had. He started to speak, but found himself choking with emotion.

”I’m sorry,” Steve whispered. “Just, it’s not. . . It’s not a disease like we were taught. It didn’t go away with the serum. It’s _real_ , Buck. And I understand if you don’t agree, I—”

Bucky took a shaky breath before grabbing Steve and pulling him close, pressing a quick kiss against his lips. It didn’t last long, just long enough to stop Steve’s rambling, but he felt his cheeks growing red. His weren’t the only ones either. “Did you honestly think I felt that way, Stevie?” he said quietly, looking in his eyes. “I. . . I’ve been scared that you thought that for so long. God, Steve, don’t you realize that you’re the only reason I haven’t. . . _Left_?”

“I-I didn’t know,” Steve murmured. “Heh, can we do that again?”

Bucky chuckled and nodded. “As long as you want, Stevie.”


End file.
